The Massachusetts Automobile Insurance Plan (MAIP) is an auto insurance plan for drivers who cannot obtain Massachusetts car insurance in the voluntary market (usually high risk drivers, currently having more than 10 points on their license or a major offence like a DUI or Vehicular Homicide within the past 6 years). If you cannot find an insurance company willing to write you a policy, you will be assigned to an insurer through the MAIP by your current agent or any insurance agent in Massachusetts.

A: No, the MAIP is the way you are assigned to one of the existing automobile insurers if you have been unable to find coverage on your own.

Consumers who cannot obtain auto insurance in the voluntary market are assigned to an Assigned Risk Company (ARC) by the MAIP using your current insurance agency or agent. For the most part, these ARCs are the same insurance companies that you will see providing coverage in the voluntary market. The only difference is each company has some drivers they insure voluntarily and other drivers that are assigned to them through the MAIP.The MAIP is a way to fairly distribute high risk drivers amongst all Massachusetts auto insurance carriers so that no one insurance carrier is burdened with an unfair proportion of risky business.

The MAIP is administered by Commonwealth Automobile Reinsurers (CAR) according to rules that are approved by the Division of Insurance. The coverage and service provided to you by the ARC will be comparable to coverage provided to drivers in the voluntary auto market. The ARC must charge the consumer the lower of the MAIP premium rate or the ARC’s voluntary premium rate.

A: You will try to find coverage on your own in the voluntary market – through an agency or agent. If no company is willing to write coverage for you, any insurance agent can submit an application for insurance to the MAIP. The MAIP will then assign the application to one of the Assigned Risk Companies and insurance will be provided to you by that company. If an agent submits a MAIP application for you, that agent will continue to service your policy regardless of which Assigned Risk Company receives your policy.

A: Your agent will tell you when you have been assigned to a company through the MAIP. In some cases, your agent may fill out a MAIP application before you receive official notification that you have been denied coverage in the voluntary market. You will always receive written notice any time you are denied coverage.

A: Any time a company denies your auto insurance application in the voluntary market, it must inform you in writing. This letter must include the reasons for their denial. Different companies might deny your application for different reasons, so these letters might list different reasons from company to company.

A: The period between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 is known as a “transition period.” During this year, insurance companies can refuse coverage for certain drivers. Those drivers will be assigned to an insurer through the MAIP. During this time, a driver can only be refused coverage if he\she:

·Has 10 or more surcharge points,

·Is a newly licensed driver seeking his\her own policy, or

·Has not had a Massachusetts automobile insurance policy during the last 12 months

Starting on April 1, 2009, any driver can be assigned through the MAIP if he\she does not meet a company’s voluntary underwriting criteria. The only exception to this rule applies to certain drivers referred to as “clean in three.” You are a “clean in three” driver if all of the following criteria apply to you:

·You have been licensed in Massachusetts for at least 3 years prior to the effective date of your policy

·You have been continuously insured during that time on a Massachusetts automobile insurance policy

·You had no traffic violations or at-fault accidents for 3 years prior to the effective date of your policy

·You had no DUI or other vehicular felony convictions for 5 years prior to the effective date of your policy

If you meet this definition of a “clean in three” driver, you cannot be assigned to an insurer through the MAIP – except in limited circumstances – before April 1, 2011.

A: An Assigned Risk Company can refuse to offer car insurance to any applicant, or to renew an existing policy, if you do not have a valid driver’s license or if your license is suspended or revoked. In that event, you should work with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to obtain your license or have your license reinstated.

If you have failed to pay your Massachusetts automobile insurance premium at any time in the last 12 months, your ARC may require you to pay your premium in full before issuing a policy.

A: Whenever you apply for automobile insurance, you should make sure that all of the information on your application is true, accurate and complete. In the event that a company denies your application because of an inaccuracy, you are always free to re-apply for car insurance with the corrected information. You should be aware that correcting inaccurate information will not guarantee that a company will agree to insure you voluntarily.

A: No.Assignments are made on the basis of each company’s market share. You will not be able to choose your company. Certain circumstances, however, will result in an assignment being directed to a particular Assigned Risk Company. Examples of directed assignment include a household member with her own policy, or outstanding premium owed to a company.

·If you have invoked your rights under a consumer protection statute against the company to which you are assigned before your MAIP assignment. For example, you previously issued a Chapter 93A Demand Letter to the company

A: If you have been assigned to a company that falls into one or more of the categories described above, you may request reassignment to a different company by completing a Request for Reassignment Form. You must complete and submit this form within 30 days of either (1) your initial assignment to the MAIP, or (2) your annual policy renewal date. You will be able to obtain copies of this form from your agent or online. You will be required to provide supporting documentation that you are entitled to be reassigned to a different company when you submit your request.

A: No. Every agent licensed to sell automobile insurance in Massachusetts must also be an Assigned Risk Producer. This means that any agent can help you complete an application to the MAIP. If you like your current agent, no one will force you to switch. You are also free to keep your other insurance policies – such as a homeowner’s insurance policy – with your present insurer.

A: Companies are allowed to sell you any coverage that they offer to customers through the voluntary market, but are not required to do so. These additional coverages are subject to the company’s existing underwriting rules.

A: Maintaining a clean driving record is the best way to convince companies to offer you coverage. Since drivers are allowed to change insurers at any time, you are free to shop around for coverage in the voluntary market throughout the year. Whenever you find a company willing to write you voluntarily, you are free to switch.

You should remember that changing insurers in the middle of a policy period will probably result in a penalty called a “short rate value.” The purpose of this penalty is to allow the company to recoup the costs of writing, administering and canceling your policy. The amount of the short rate value decreases as your policy renewal date gets closer. You should contact your agent or company to find out how much of a penalty you would have to pay before you cancel your existing policy.

A: You should always contact your agent or company with questions about your insurance coverage or placement. You can also contact the Division of Insurance’s Consumer Section by calling 1-617-521-7794.

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